Air purifiers in China turn smog into diamonds

Elizabeth Taylor said, “Big girls need big diamonds.” In China, they’re figuring out how to make as many diamonds as any girl could want -- in an environmentally-friendly way.

Last October, a 23-foot-tall metal air purifier was unveiled in a Beijing park.

But this is no ordinary air purifier. It turns smog into diamonds. Yes, really.

Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde (pronounced “Dan Rose-Guard”) designed the structure. He calls it “the largest smog vacuum cleaner in the world.”

The purifier uses a process called positive ionization to suck pollution out of the air. More than 40 percent of the particles it collects is carbon. By placing the carbon under extremely high pressure, it’s able to convert it into diamonds.

The diamonds are then turned into jewelry and sold. Roosegaarde uses the profits to finance the construction of more air purifiers.

The structure produces 30,000 cubic meters of clean air per hour, making the air around it 75 percent cleaner than the rest of the city.

Roosegaarde said, “True beauty is clean air, and it should not be taken for granted.”